The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Homel resident Ihar Sluchak, initiator of the campaign “Office Work in Belarusian!” again sent personal addresses to heads of all district, city and regional executive committees with the proposal to extend the use of the Belarusian language in state institutions and organizations. “Being concerned with the development of the Belarusian language and striving to secure its further development and safety as the main integral element of a nation, we address You with the aim to establish the best friendly and partner contacts in this direction. We propose You to try make the Belarusian language the dominating language at You institutions by means which You can determine Yourself,”proposed the activist.

Zhodzina human rights defenders Aliaksei and Sviatlana Lapitskis applied to the local executive committee for authorization of a picket dated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, they have little hope that their action will be permitted.

On October 22 in Barysau known persons beat Young Front members Maxim Akhrymenka and Yury Bahdanovich during collection of signatures in support of the Belarusian language.

“We collected signatures among passers-by together, when four unknown people in plainclothes came near us,” Maxim Akhrymenka said to mfront.net website. “They asked whether we are Young Front members, and when we said yes, they started to beat us”.

As said by the young activist, when police patrol saw the fight, policemen turned around and went the other way. Then people in plainclothes disappeared.

On 12 October the member of the Conservative-Christian Party BPF Siarhei Kavalenka was detained by the police.

Minsk city executive committee banned the picket ‘Give Belarusian children Belarusian school’ because the action would allegedly hinder the traffic in Banhalor Square. The association of right-wing forces Right Alliance intended to hold the action on 16 September in Druzhby Narodau Park in Banhalor Square.